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True, but for some places its the only place where restaurants can post for help. When I was in Boston, there was bostonchefs.com for job postings, but in DC there isn't a site like that so all restaurants go through craigslist.

I just recently went back to a restaurant I helped open to expand the concept and have to "rebuild" my current kitchen a bit after being gone for nearly 2 years and soon hire a complete staff for the new store. I use craigslist as well as references and people I know in the industry. If you word it right and are clear on what you are looking for, you can get some decent responses even here in Tampa where the talent pool is smaller. I have been getting a lot of inexperienced people that say they have a love and passion for cooking and want to try. I would have taken some of them on if the kitchen was running on all cylinders as those kinds of people are diamonds in the rough many times. I tell all of them I speak with verbally or through email that schools and restaurants are the same ... you have to pick a good one and stay away from the wrong ones.

As far as what a chef looks for ... MOVE YOUR ASS. Fast AND controlled. Short steps, keep movements to a minimum. Think ahead to insure this. Know your surroundings and where everything is so you don't have to ask. Bring a pad and paper. WRITE THINGS DOWN. Prioritize. Start at top and move your way down. 5 things started and completed well are better that 15 things started with 6 done and the rest in waiting. Initiative. If you can do something without someone having to ask you, it goes a long way. A good chef will not micro manage, and in fact know it is against his interest to have to do so. Many chef's might even get angry and upset if you take it upon yourself to do something on your own and "screw it up" a bit ... but deep down they are happy you at least took the chance and tried on your own. Help the guy next to you. Positive thought is the most powerful action in this world. It makes people like you and want to be around you and come to your aid. If you help others and are positive towards them regardless of their demeanor ... I promise you it can change them. It's only when everyone works together do you have a successful anything. Therefore it is the most important thing to a Chef. If you can help promote unity and team effort, you will be a invaluable asset to him/her. Remember anything someone does incorrect, whether it's poor attitude or poor knife skills comes only from ignorance. It's not reason to dislike someone, it's only their lack of knowledge that makes them so. They need to be taught. Chef's don't get angry because you screw up ... they get angry when you screw up the same thing over and over because now one must wonder if you even care enough to correct your mistake and learn. And this is something that only you can fully change. A good person can guide you and interject thought, but only you can change how you think and thus if you care. If you can have an understanding of what was just written and have drive and passion ... it's fun and easy to cook

The craigslist issue was definitely something I had noticed –*in NYC it seemed like some good restaurants were using it to at least supplement their applicant pool, but here in Dallas it's mostly just chain restaurants and retirement communities posting listings.

Bryan – really appreciate the thoughtful response. And that's a pretty good summary of why I'm so excited to get into this industry after being in one that is largely filled with...pretty much the exact opposite of all of those things, ha.